More People in the U.S. Are Dying Than Being Born, According to the CDC Birth rates in 2020 fell for the sixth year in a row, reaching the lowest since 1979.
By Fatma Khaled
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The U.S. birth rate fell for the sixth consecutive year in 2020, according to data released by the CDC on Wednesday.
Around 3.6 million babies were born in the U.S. in 2020, down 4% compared to 2019 and the lowest since 1979 after a reported increase in 2014.
The CDC compiled its findings based on 2010 census data and 2020 birth records that were processed by the National Center for Health Statistics through February 11.
Related: Can Birth Order Determine Success or Failure? Science Says Maybe So.
While the CDC didn't provide an explanation behind the drops, experts reportedly attributed the decline to an increase in unemployment rates, according to CNBC. They added that the drop in birth rates could reflect the lack of crucial resources, such as housing and food among certain demographics in the U.S.
The number of births in 2020 declined to the lowest point since official records began over 100 years ago, Forbes recently pointed out. The general fertility rate in 2020 in the country was 55.8 births per 1,000 women aged between 15 and 44, falling 4% from the rate in 2019. This is another record low for the U.S., according to the CDC.
Birth rates declined for women in all age groups, even though the birth rates didn't change for teens aged between 10 and 14 and women aged 45 to 49, the agency found.
The CDC noted in its report that these rates are below replacement levels — defined as the number of births required for a generation to replace itself— and have been the case since 1971.
Last year, California had the highest total number of births with 419,612 babies born, while Vermont had the lowest with only 5,117 born, the agency said.
